*swimmaną

Runic: ᛊᚹᛁᛗᚨᚾᚨ Pronunciation: /ˈswim.mɑ.nɑ̃/

verb · Strong class 3

Meanings

to be unsteady
to swim; float

Etymology

Of uncertain origin. Appears to stem from a quasi-Indo-European root *swem(bʰ)- (‘to be unsteady, move, swim’), albeit with no certain cognates outside of Germanic. Kroonen rejects phonetic and semantic connection to Old Irish seinnid (‘to reach, bring’). Orel (who reconstructs the Proto-Germanic as *swemmaną) considers the word a secondary ablaut of Proto-Germanic *swīmaną (‘to move back and forth’), which he derives from a hypothetical earlier *swīp-m-anan and tentatively connects to *swaipaną (‘to sweep’). This is semantically attractive, though requires a somewhat phonetically bold pre-form.

Conjugation

Present active

Person	Indicative	Subjunctive	Imperative
1st singular	swimmō	swimmaų	–
2nd singular	swimmizi	swimmaiz	swimm
3rd singular	swimmidi	swimmai	swimmadau
1st dual	swimmōz	swimmaiw	–
2nd dual	swimmadiz	swimmaidiz	swimmadiz
1st plural	swimmamaz	swimmaim	–
2nd plural	swimmid	swimmaid	swimmid
3rd plural	swimmandi	swimmain	swimmandau

Present passive

Person	Indicative	Subjunctive
1st singular	swimmai	–
2nd singular	swimmazai	swimmaizau
3rd singular	swimmadai	swimmaidau
1st dual	–	–
2nd dual	–	–
1st plural	swimmandai	swimmaindau
2nd plural	swimmandai	swimmaindau
3rd plural	swimmandai	swimmaindau

Past

Person	Indicative	Subjunctive
1st singular	swamm	summį̄
2nd singular	swammt	summīz
3rd singular	swamm	summī
1st dual	summū	summīw
2nd dual	summudiz	summīdiz
1st plural	summum	summīm
2nd plural	summud	summīd
3rd plural	summun	summīn

Non-finite Forms

Infinitive	Present Participle	Past Participle
swimmaną	swimmandz	summanaz

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Descendants

*swimman (Proto-West Germanic)
- *swimman (Old Dutch)
  - swemmen (Middle Dutch)
    - zwemmen (Dutch)
    - zwömme (Limburgish)
*swimman (Proto-West Germanic)
- swimman (Old English)
  - swymmen, suymmyne, sweme, swemmen, swimmen, swyme, swymme, squim (Middle English)
    - swim (English)
    - sweem, soom (Scots)
*swimman (Proto-West Germanic)
- swimma (Old Frisian)
  - swimme (Saterland Frisian)
  - swimme (West Frisian)
*swimman (Proto-West Germanic)
- swimman (Old High German)
  - swimmen (Middle High German)
    - schwimma (Bavarian)
    - schwimmen (German)
    - schwammen (Luxembourgish)
    - śwyma (Vilamovian)
    - שווימען (shvimen) (Yiddish)
*swimman (Proto-West Germanic)
- swimman (Old Saxon)
  - swemmen (Middle Low German)
    - swimmen, swemmen (Low German)
    - schwamen (Plautdietsch)
svimma (Old Norse)
- simma (Elfdalian)
- svimja (Faroese)
- sime (Gutnish)
- svimma, svima, symja (Icelandic)
- symi (Jamtish)
- suma (Norn)
- symja, svemja (Norwegian Nynorsk)
- sømma (Scanian)
svimma (Old Norse)
- swimmæ (Old Danish)
  - svømme, svemme (Danish)
    - svømme (Norwegian Bokmål)
      - svømma (Norwegian Nynorsk)
svimma (Old Norse)
- symma (Old Swedish)
  - simma (Swedish)
symja (Old Norse)
- simma (Elfdalian)
- svimja (Faroese)
- sime (Gutnish)
- svimma, svima, symja (Icelandic)
- symi (Jamtish)
- suma (Norn)
- symja, svemja (Norwegian Nynorsk)
- sømma (Scanian)
symja (Old Norse)
- swimmæ (Old Danish)
  - svømme, svemme (Danish)
    - svømme (Norwegian Bokmål)
      - svømma (Norwegian Nynorsk)
symja (Old Norse)
- symma (Old Swedish)
  - simma (Swedish)
svima (Old Norse)
- simma (Elfdalian)
- svimja (Faroese)
- sime (Gutnish)
- svimma, svima, symja (Icelandic)
- symi (Jamtish)
- suma (Norn)
- symja, svemja (Norwegian Nynorsk)
- sømma (Scanian)
svima (Old Norse)
- swimmæ (Old Danish)
  - svømme, svemme (Danish)
    - svømme (Norwegian Bokmål)
      - svømma (Norwegian Nynorsk)
svima (Old Norse)
- symma (Old Swedish)
  - simma (Swedish)

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